EXCURSION IN LAND OF ENCHANTMENT: CARSON MACEDO WAS LIKE NEW MEXICO’S STATE BIRD, THE GREATER ROADRUNNER, SETTING A FAST PACE EARLY BEFORE GETTING PUSHED BACK TO A 7TH PLACE FINISH IN THE DESERT SHOWDOWN OPENER AT VADO SPEEDWAY PARK

VADO, NEW MEXICO (September 5, 2025) – When the Huset’s Shootout concluded last Sunday night at Huset’s Speedway where Carson Macedo drove to a third place finish, the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team loaded up their equipment and trucked Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) style in their Border International 1,200 miles to New Mexico. They arrived in “The Land of Enchantment” for two fun-filled days at the World of Outlaws Desert Showdown at the impressive Vado Speedway Park. This 3/8-mile diamond of a facility is the result of Royal Jones’ vision to bring a premier dirt track and entertainment facility to this part of the country. Mission accomplished. Royal Jones is a racer, long-time supporter and sponsor of grassroots motorsports, and a valued sponsorship partner and unwavering friend of Jason Johnson and his dream from day one at JJR. There were 23 traveling tour and local race teams that pulled through the pit gates to prepare for the first of two nights of racing action – World of Outlaws style – at Vado Speedway Park. It was race day in the Southwest!

For many of the drivers WEDG High Performance Karts Hot Laps would be their first time on this racetrack. While this opportunity is nice, it certainly brief and limited exposure for the drivers and teams to get a good read on the track and required setup. When Hot Laps were over, the drivers headed to the staging area to line up for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. The cars were nose-to-tail in the time trail order according to the pill they drew at the World of Outlaws Command Center during the Eloy Gutierrez Pill Draw. After randomly drawing the 17 pill, Carson Macedo would roll out eighth for his two timed laps against the quickly moving red numbers on the stopwatch. When Conner Morrell in the Tub O’ Towels #28M crossed the finish line to end his qualifying session, Carson fired up the Tarlton and Son/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Mr. Jim’s Racing #41 Maxim to give a go at making speed in New Mexico. The track had grip and proved to be fast as David Gravel had already shattered the previous track record. Carson lowered his right foot, got up to speed, and went to work. The driver of the forty-one took the green flag and worked his way through turns one and two before hustling down the backstretch and around the last set of turns at the opposite end. The clock measured Carson’s lap one performance in 12.116 seconds. His elbows were still high as he maneuvered his racecar around Vado Speedway Park one last time looking to squeeze everything out of his Kistler Engines power he could timewise at this high altitude. This time the numbers that popped up on the scoreboard for Macedo’s lap two read 12.017 seconds, which catapulted him to the top of the speed charts establishing a New Track Record (NTR) at Vado Speedway Park. No one could top that lap on this night as Carson ended up the quickest driver of the night to earn his fifth Simpson Quick Time Award of the 2025 season and 50th career WoO Quick Time. Posing for the picture was none other than Royal Jones founder of Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) and owner of Vado Speedway Park.

Carson was set to start from the pole position aboard the Scott Boyd Family/Ben Cook Race Car Products/Smith TI #41 Maxim in the first of three 8-lap Heat races. He would line up to the inside of Skylar Gee’s Building Packages Direct #99 in NOS Energy Drink Heat Race #1. Two seventeens were in row two with Sheldon Haudenschild’s NOS Energy Drink #17 and Bill Balog’s Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B side-by-side. Row three showcased Donny Schatz in his debut in the Paul Silva wrenched Kevin Kozlowski Works Limited W and Chris Windom in the Sides Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink #7s. The final row four starters were Alex Pettas in the Apache Scapes #2X and Tuesday Calderwood’s MPe/Jockos Sprint Parts #4.

The flagman showed the field the rolled up green flag indicating to the drivers there was one more lap before the green flag unfurled to start the race. The next time by the calmness in the air change adding the roar of these mighty 410 engines as the drivers raced towards turn one. Carson was the first to arrive in his black and green skinned #41 leading the opening lap with Gee and Balog trailing behind.

Carson had a fast racecar and was wheeling the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 out in front of the pack widening the gap between himself and the other competitors with each completed lap. He would be uncontested as he led from start to finish over the 8-lap distance taking the Heat race win by 2.399 seconds over Skylar Gee with those two drivers advancing into the Toyota Dash. Bill Balog came home third followed by Sheldon Haudenschild with Schatz, Windom, Calderwood, and Pettas who did not start the race completing the finishing order.

Race officials did a good job keeping the show moving along with forecasted rain heading towards the area later in the evening. The draw for the 6-lap Toyota Dash took place in the pit area following Heat race action. When the six numbers were all pulled, Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1S and David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 would be on the front row to start the race. Behind them was Skylar Gee chauffeuring the Logan Fenton Racing #99 with Kerry Madsen aboard the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) #15 in row two with Carson Macedo in the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid rolling in the Roth Motorsports #83 from row three. When the green flag waved, Schuchart drove off into the lead with Gravel keeping him within striking distance. Buddy Kofoid hustled his way up to fourth using the outside line to pass both Macedo and Gee at the start. Carson also moved by Gee to maintain the position he started in. The six laps were uneventful passing wise as Logan Schuchart took the win over David Gravel with Madsen coming home third, Kofoid fourth, with Macedo and Gee coming racing across the finish line in the fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

The teams finished their work in preparation for the $12,000-to-win 30-lap World of Outlaws Desert Showdown opening night feature. The drivers lined up in the first three rows were based off the Toyota Dash finish. Carson rolled out in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Jansen Transportation/Saldana Racing Products #41 Maxim before driving up to his fifth starting spot. Skylar Gee #99 pulled to his outside in row three as they paced behind Kerry Madsen #15 and Buddy Kofoid #83 and the front row starters in preparation for green flag racing.

When the initial green flag waved, Logan Schuchart raced into the lead and Carson got a great start using the bottom of the track to move into fourth place carrying his speed down the backstretch before the red flag stopped the action. The red flag was for Alex Pettas #2X and Conner Morrell #28M who both flipped hard at the end of the front straightaway and into turn one. There was a long open red flag period following the accident as safety and medical personnel tended to Conner Morrell who was alert, conscious, and taking to officials after the hard tumble before being transported to a local hospital for further observation with neck and back pain.

The red lights turned off as the drivers climbed back into their speed chariots. The field realigned and when the green flag came back out Logan Schuchart reclaimed the lead again ahead of Kerry Madsen and David Gravel. Carson got another good start in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 as he cleanly raced into fourth place with Kofoid and Gee right behind.

The on track racing here is tight, which makes it exciting for the fans and drivers. Carson was running in the fourth position that he claimed during the opening lap of the race. Buddy Kofoid was in hot pursuit and aggressively charged into turn one hard trying to pass for position on Macedo. He was successful as he drove his fellow Californian competitor out of the low groove and up the racetrack. Carson did a tremendous job to save it to avoid wrecking but lost three positions in the running order.

The race continued and on lap 13, Kerry Madsen moved by Schuchart to take over the lead of the race with David Gravel hanging around in third just waiting patiently to pounce on the Australian and Pennsylvanian ahead of him. The Connecticut-born driver moved into the runner-up position on lap 20 and immediately started to hound the race leader in lap traffic.

On lap 23, David Gravel raced underneath Kerry Madsen off turn two to take control of the highest paying position in the running order – first. From that point forward he simply was on the move putting a lot of distance between himself and everyone else. The only thing he had to do was cleanly navigate through the slower lap traffic over the remaining laps as he collected his series leading 13th WoO win of the season with Logan Schuchart moving back by Madsen to finish second. Kerry Madsen stood on the last step of the podium with Buddy Kofoid and Landon Crawley rounding out the top five. Carson stayed out of trouble the rest of the race and ended up finishing in 7th place just behind Skylar Gee.

Carson Macedo and the World of Outlaws traveling band of brothers will be back in action on Saturday night in the finale of the Desert Showdown at Vado Speedway Park. If you cannot catch the action live at this beautiful facility in Mew Mexico, tune into DIRTVision as these stars will out on another great show.

Putting On an Entertaining Show at Vado Speedway Park to Open the Desert Showdown! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2025: Albaugh, LLC; Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Border International; Scott Boyd Family; Saich Family; Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Durst Inc.; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Racing Engines; Maxim Racing; Sander Engineering; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Boltz Family; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); RaceDiecast.com; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Xtreme Body and Paint; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads; AutoMeter; Bell Helmets; Ben Cook Race Car Products; BlackBeard LTD; BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions); BR Motorsports; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Prime Composite Innovations; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smiley’s Racing Products; Smith TI; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) and Carson Macedo go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.

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